October 2016

Volume 12 Issue 2

Isshinryu Canada

Also, pay attention to others. At the

Expo, many of us got wonderful oppor-

tunities to expand our minds, be open

to others’ “mistakes” to be learning op-

portunities for you.

Try to be open, learn from others and

brave in attempting new things. Not

just in the Dojo but in life, and everyone

around you will benefit.

Karate is a fun and exciting activity, just

like many things in life. But, just like

many things in life, trying new things, es-

pecially when you aren’t sure what’s go-

ing to happen, can be stressful.

Take the chance and be brave in your

training. Don’t worry about making mis-

takes, looking like a fool or otherwise

having things not work out.

Dojos are (and should be) a supportive

fun environment. Everyone there is

there for the same purpose, to learn and

get better at Karate. No one is going to

be upset if you try something new (Note

to kids, this doesn’t mean fooling

around! Listen to your Sensei).

So, the next time you are fighting, doing

basics or Kata, try something a little dif-

ferent. Step faster/slower, a different

angle, etc. Maybe you’ll discover some-

thing great.

Events It’s time to plan some

events! The next Expo is going to be May Long weekend 2018!

The Canadian Isshinryu Way

Everything Karate & Kobudo

ATTENTION NEEDED!

Do you know of someone great in Isshinryu? If so, please e-mail Sensei@isshinryu.ca with the contact de-

Be Brave

Upcoming Events

Essential Isshinryu is available!

For more information on the first Canadian Isshinryu book, visit www.essentialisshinryu.com!

Inside this

Issue:

2016 Isshinryu

Expo 2

Why I Study Ka-

rate By Jennifer Ed-

wards

3

Dojo Updates 5

The Challenges 6

Page 2 The Canadian Isshinryu Way

The 2016 Isshinryu Expo was held in Thunder Bay,

Ontario, Canada and it was an amazing event.

Participants travelled from all across Canada and the

United States to attend. With three concurrent

seminars happening at all times, everyone was kept

very busy. Seminars were held appealing to all,

whether you wanted to work on your basics, kata,

bunkai, fighting, kobudo or teaching skills there were

many seminars of interest.

Saturday was a wonderful banquet, full of the requi-

site Karate jokes and an amazing performance by

traditional Japanese Taiko drummers.

As is our tradition, Friday started off with Black Belt

gradings. Conducted under the oversight of the IKI

and Hanshi’s Mady and Markovich, it was a long

night for the testees.

After performing basics, kata, bunkai and self de-

fence, the fighting was still very vigorious and gave

everyone the opportunity to show their tremendous

skill as well as their spirit and push themselves very

hard.

When all was done, the follow promotions were

awarded:

Nanadan

Brant Ledoux (Dryden)

Rokudan

Richard Wharf (Westman Isshinryu Karate, Brandon)

Yondan

Simeon Ostap (Chitora Dojo, Thunder Bay)

Jeff Long (Chitora Dojo, Thunder Bay)

Sandan

Rob Purdon (Kokoro Dojo, Thunder Bay)

Nidan

Gord Adams (Lake of the Woods Karate, Kenora)

Caleb Frisby (Kokoro Dojo, Thunder Bay)

Shodan

Jen Edwards (Toshikai Dojo, Thunder Bay)

Mario Drouin (Toshikai Dojo, Ottawa)

Junior Shodan

Spencer Korol (Satori Dojo, Thunder Bay)

Ikkyu

Nolan Maenpaa (Toshikai Dojo, Thunder Bay)

Nikyu

Marlies Iorianni (Toshikai Dojo, Thunder Bay)

Graham Milne (Kokoro Dojo, Thunder Bay)

Congratulations to all on the achievement!

The 2016 Isshinryu Expo was AMAZING!

Page 3

Why I Study Isshinryu Karate

By Jennifer Edwards

My heart was pounding. My breathing was heavy. My

eyes were determined. Crack! The sound of splinter-

ing wood filled the dojo as I stared on in wonder and

amazement. I had single-handedly broken a plank of

wood using nothing but my bare foot. I felt powerful. I

felt confident. I felt strong. And I loved it.

That Women’s Self Defence Course was the very begin-

ning of my journey in the martial arts. After that first

experience, I wanted more. The time to strike is when

the opportunity presents itself. I began classes as soon as I

could and have not looked back.

I must admit that when I began I knew virtually nothing

about karate other than the very little I had seen of it in

the media. I thought it would be a good way to keep up

my fitness and to learn something new. At that point I

had no idea how Isshinryu karate would impact my life.

At first it was a bit odd getting used to working out in

what felt like pyjamas. Not to mention, when I started I

was Shihan Susan’s lone adult student amidst a bunch of

kids, as she was just coming back to karate following a

sabbatical. My husband used to (and still does) tease

me, calling me “Kramer,” after the Seinfeld episode

where white belt Kramer beats up a bunch of kids at a

shiai.

From the beginning, I enjoyed karate. I found it inter-

esting, challenging and fun, but over the years it has

done far more for me that I could have ever imagined. I

study Isshinryu because it has and continues to impact

my life physically, mentally, emotionally, socially and

spiritually. I study Isshinryu because it is the One

Heart Way.

I have been an athlete all of my life. I have participated

in numerous activities, such as running, basketball, vol-

leyball, baseball and badminton, just to name a few. I

am the sort of person who enjoys the practice more

than the game. As an adolescent, I used to practice bas-

ketball alone in my driveway for hours. As soon as the

temperature would rise enough to scrape the ice off of

the driveway, I would be out there with the shovel. I

remember doing repetition after repetition, shot after

shot, drill after drill, until the pads of my fingers would

be raw from handling the ball. Something about getting

out there and working up a sweat and really pushing my

limits draws me right in.

Knowing that karate is about me making my body

stronger, better, more prepared - it ignites that drive in

me to strive for improvement each and every time. I no

longer have a basketball net in my driveway, but it is not

uncommon to find me outside running through basics or

performing kata with that same familiar repetition, this

time punch after punch, block after block, sequence af-

ter sequence.

A physical workout in the dojo is all encompass-

ing. From stretching to basics and kata to self-defence

and bunkai to kumite, everything is covered: static and

dynamic stretching, strength and resistance training as

well as aerobic and anaerobic training. I can think of no

better activity than martial arts to condition the body

and promote fitness.

Another one of the reasons I love Isshinryu is that it can

work for any body type. Whether you are short or tall,

slight or solid, male or female, Isshinryu is effective. The

natural stances limit wasted motion and promote stabil-

ity regardless of body makeup. There is never just one

way to defend yourself. As Shihan Susan says, “Look for

an opening and attack!”

For me, karate has a way of promoting mental clari-

ty. About five years ago, my husband began to experi-

ence some debilitating health issues. The stress of fi-

nances, managing the household, raising our child and

caring for my husband fell solely on my shoulders for

quite some time. I felt like I was constantly on edge,

with an impending sense of doom that at any second I

was going to crack and everything would come crashing

down on me. The one thing that allowed me some re-

lief, even for a short while, was going to the dojo or

running through my kata. Isshinryu karate has taught

me to be able to focus on one thing and let everything

else dissipate. It is about more than just doing kata and

staying focused amidst distractions. It is about the fact

that this skill is transferring, positively affecting my men-

tal health, integrating more and more into my daily

life. Thankfully, my husband’s health is gradually improv-

(Continued on page 4)

Page 4 The Canadian Isshinryu Way

Why I Study Isshinryu Karate

By Jennifer Edwards

ing, but I often find myself pausing, taking a moment to

check in, to breathe and to be mindful.

Over the years, I have forged many friendships in the

name of Isshinryu karate. In my experience, walking into

an Isshinryu dojo, there is a sense of camarade-

rie. Everyone is there to support one another, regard-

less of rank. I have come to truly appreciate and cherish

my karate family both near and far. We have encour-

aged each other through karate events such as tourna-

ments and promotions and have comforted and reas-

sured each other through difficult times in our personal

lives. I have great respect for my instructors, especially

Shihan Susan, as well as for my fellow karateka, for they

have shared so much of themselves.

It’s inspiring to know there is such rich history in the

martial arts. I so enjoy being a part of this style, this tra-

dition that is so much bigger than me. I find comfort and

peace in the knowledge that the ancient art of karate has

been practiced by many generations before me. Master

Tatsuo Shimabuku combined all of the best, strongest

and most practical elements of other ancient styles to

create this incredible legacy, the One Heart Way.

In the preface of his book, Seisan Kata of Isshinryu Karate,

Steve Armstrong Sensei states, “The following is a sum-

marization of the purposes of Isshinryu karate:

To strengthen the mind and body

To instil self-discipline

To instill self-confidence

To gain a measure of self-protection, the knowledge of

which should never be misused.”

Those may be the purposes of Isshinryu karate, but this

art has given me so much more. Karate is making me a

better person in respect to the physical, mental, emo-

tional, social and spiritual. I feel both privileged and hon-

oured to study Isshinryu karate with the Isshinryu Karate

International organization.

When I was nine years old, my father passed away after

a courageous battle with cancer. The date was May 19,

1990. My thoughts often wander to him during my kara-

te practice. I find it quite fitting that I will be testing for

shodan 26 years and one day later. I like to think he

would have been proud of my accomplishment.

Updates from Toshikai Ottawa

September means it is time to refocus on your martial

arts. The Toshikai Dojo of Ottawa was honored to

have Canada's most senior Sensei come teach a seminar

on stick fighting. Hanshi Bob Markovich, who has a ninth

dan in Isshinryu as well as

a fourth degree in Arnis,

taught us some of the fun-

damentals of striking and

defending with sticks. The

class flew past as we were

taught how to strike and

counter from multiple di-

rections. Everyone left the

seminar feeling a bit more

mastery with the sticks. Having Hanshi Markovich at our

dojo was a great way to start our 20th year operating in

Ottawa.

Page 5

Update from Thunder Bay, ON

Since the last newsletter lots has happened in Thun-

der Bay, we hosted the 2016 Isshinryu Expo, which

was a huge success, as well as the following chang-

es.

Chitora Dojo has a new home at Woodcrest Public

School. After over 21 years it was time for a change

and our new space is amazing. It’s more than dou-

ble the size and has a great floor, comfortable to roll

around on but hard enough for knuckle pushups.

Toshikai Thunder Bay also has a new home at Volun-

teer pool. The Dojo moved along with the Judo club

so they are still training on the mats that make eve-

ry other Dojo quite jealous.

Chitora Dojo also has done some promotions since

the last newsletter.

Carter Sakiyama—Ikkyu

Peter Harbron—Green Belt

Don’t forget to checkout the article on the Expo for

many more promotions from Thunder Bay and

across Canada.

Promotions in Dryden, ON

TIMA Dryden promoted three black belts this

past June, congratulations to Stephen Dormer,

Aidan Scott and Mandie Ryan.

Your cake is quite impressive!

Page 6 The Canadian Isshinryu Way

The Challenges! K

ara

te

Ko

bu

do

T

rain

ing

10 Slow Pushups

Instead of trying to do your push ups super quick, do them instead for a stomach

workout.

Down, Up, Hold and squeeze your stomach for two deliberate breaths (in and out twice)

and repeat. It should take you about a minute to finish. If it’s easy, squeeze your core

harder.

If you realized this is the same challenge as the last newsletter, great, instead of doing

the pushups, do a T position rotation because your posture muscles are much stronger

now.

Snappy blocks are the key to actually defending yourself. If the block is slow and weak it

won’t help you, resulting in you never getting the chance to counter.

In order to maximize the speed and power of your block, your entire body should work

together to deliver the block. Here’s your key points, try at least 10 blocks a day until

you are comfortable doing all of them.

1) Block stops in line with body (no reaching) 2) Muscles are relaxed and then tensed

3) Body (hip) and arm move together 4) Breath works with block (exhale)

Just like the Karate challenge, sharpen your blocks. All the above points apply, plus two

more.

1) Change position before blocking movement, you need the block to cover the key tar-

gets, it can’t do that if you are still rotating it around.

2) Fix and then tighten your hand position appropriately (before contact)

When setting goals and trying to accomplish things, it is very common to pick a large goal and then

get discouraged. When that happens, no one wants to fail at their goals so instead, let’s pick small

tasks that you can easily do.

The key point is that you need to do it EVERY day. No days off, but if you miss a day, jump right

back in. They are all easy to do, but you MUST do them.

By making a commitment to yourself to do it everyday, you’ll improve your mental level of training,

but also very quickly incrementally improve your skills. You may not notice after day 2, or day 5, but

after day 30 or 50, things will suddenly be different. You’ll be sharper and things will come easier to

you.

Editor & Author—Chitora Dojo

Mike Fenton—Thunder Bay, Ontario

Mike lives with his wife Kyla and has been training in Isshinryu karate for almost 30 years, and has been an

instructor for over 25 years. He is currently head instructor of Chitora Dojo in Thunder Bay, Ontario.

Author—Chitora Dojo

Trevor Warren—Thunder Bay, Ontario

Trevor lives in Thunder Bay with his wife Maria. He has dedicated a great deal of his time to teaching and

his own training with the realization that hard work is the key to success.

Shotei palm heel

Shuto/Shoto knife hand

Sokuto blade of foot

Taisuko sole of foot

Tsuisaki toes

Tsuki direct strike

Uchi indirect strike

Ude forearm

Ushiro back

Yoko side

Yubi finger

Ashi foot

Atemi vital points of the body

Bunkai take to pieces/analyze

Empi, hiji elbow

Hajime Begin

haishu back hand

Haito ridge hand

Hiza knee

Kansetsu joint

Ken fist

Keri Kick

Kin-geri Groin Kick

Kinteki groin

Kokan heel

Kosomi ball of foot

Kote wrist

Men head

Mo Ichi Do One more Time

Rei Bow

Sanchin Three Battles

Seisan Thirteen

Seiuchin Control, Pull, Fight /

Calm within the Storm

Seretsu line up

It is important to familiarize yourself with commonly used Japanese words. Try to

memorize all the words each time and you will soon have a large “karate” vocabulary.

Page 7

Contributors

Karate Terms in this Newsletter

Author—Toshikai Dojo

Jennifer Edwards—Ottawa, ON

Jennifer is a Black Belt in Thunder Bay, ON who earned her Black Belt at the 2016 Expo.

Jeff Long—Assistant Editor

Jeff Long—Thunder Bay, ON

Jeff is a Yondan and Sensei at the Chitora Dojo.

Author—Wanted

Authors are always wanted, why not contribute your opinions or insights? Anyone can offer something of

value, regardless of rank or experience.

Article Submission

Articles are welcome from anyone and

everyone. They can be about anything

related to the Martial Arts, a tech-

nique you think is just great; A better

way to do a technique; History of a

Karate Master; a tournament trick that

works well; ANYTHING!

All articles are appreciated as e-mail.

You can send it to your instructor to

proof read and send in, or directly to

me. (Mike (at) Isshinryu.ca) or

(sensei@isshinryu.ca)

You can even include pictures if it

helps your article!

Dojo Directory:

Any student is welcome at anytime to visit any dojo. Before class, always intro-

duce yourself to the Sensei of the dojo and tell them who your current Sensei is.

For a full dojo list visit Isshinryu.ca We are getting too many to list here.

Business Name

Affiliate Cities!

Abbotsford, BC Contact: Mike O’Leary

Brandon, MB Contact: Richard Wharf

Contact: Buzz Cox

Calgary, AB Contact: Charles Boyd

Chilliwack, BC Contact: Ryan Bird

Cookstown, ON Contact: Harri T. Makivirta

Dryden, ON Contact: Rick McGogy

Hope, BC Contact: Norm Losier

Kenora, ON Contact: Steve Davis

Contact: David White

Ottawa, ON

Contact: Tim Leonard

Quebec

Contact: Pierre Parenteau

Saskatchewan Contact: Brian Smout

Sioux Lookout Contact: Jim Sapay

Thunder Bay, ON Contact: Mike Fenton

Contact: Trevor Warren

Vancouver, BC Contact: Rachel McGovern

Windsor, ON Contact: Albert Mady

Winnipeg, MB

Contact: Brent Horton

Canadian Isshinryu Abroad

Berlin, Germany Contact: Ryan Boesche

Stow, Ohio

Contact Albert Pecoraro

Submissions

Chitora Dojo at the Conquer the Fort Mudrun

Simeon Ostap, Carter Sakiyama, Justin Johnson, Mike Fenton, Trevor Warren, Sarah Johnson